Health & Wellbeing

With over 3,500 volunteers involved in Parkinson's UK, these generous and devoted people really are at the centre of everything they do. They couldn’t function in the way they do without volunteers, and Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) is the perfect time to let them know how much they are valued.

It was a volunteer called Mali Jenkins who founded Parkinson’s UK, then known as the Parkinson’s Disease Society, in 1969. They are now the UK’s leading charity supporting people affected by the condition, and volunteers are essential to helping us transform the lives of people with Parkinson’s. 

The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, the Midlands-based leading mental health charity, will be holding an exciting Midlands Knockout Challenge, a thrilling fun event as part of their #FeelGood50 campaign. The one-of-a-kind challenge aims to bring communities together across the Midlands while raising awareness and vital funds to support the charity's essential mental health services.

The Dyslexia Awards are back for the eighth year – and it’s time to think about who you want to nominate. The awards, which celebrate dyslexics and those who go the extra mile to support them, are presented at a celebration event in the West Midlands in the autumn.

Nominations for the nine categories are now open, and awards founder Elizabeth Wilkinson urged everyone who knows, is related to or who works with dyslexics to get involved. She said: “I know from experience how amazing dyslexics are, and yet every year I am blown away by the content of the nominations received.

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded the world that infectious diseases respect no borders. For 75 years, the WHO (World Health Organisation) has directed and coordinated international health work.

“The United States believes that multilateralism, the United Nations, the World Health Organisation are essential — not just as an effective international COVID-19 health and humanitarian response, but also building stronger global health capacity and security for the future,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

PureGym is supporting the lifesaving research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) through the help of the West Midlands’ preloved items. The gym is taking part in a nationwide initiative with their charity partner to help fund the BHF’s ground-breaking research into heart and circulatory diseases.    

Over 340 donation boxes have been installed in PureGyms across the UK, encouraging members and non-members to donate good quality preloved items such as clothes, small household items, electricals, accessories and shoes. Items donated will be sent to their local BHF shop, helping to turn preloved possessions into the next medical breakthrough. So far, the initiative has diverted 1.98 tonnes of preloved items from landfill- which equates to 20,100kg of CO2 emissions avoided.

"The horse has bolted now, they are addicted," says Chris, a high school teacher in New South Wales. He's talking about students in his class, teenagers, who can't stop vaping.

He sees the effect of the candy-flavoured, nicotine-packed e-cigarettes on young minds every day, with children even vaping in class. "The ones who are deepest into it will just get up out of their seat, or they'll be fidgeting or nervous.

People are being invited to raise vital funds for Diabetes UK this summer by joining a walking challenge taking place in Birmingham for the first time. The Birmingham Wellness Walk 2023 will take place on Sunday, 2 July, and is a perfect opportunity to improve your fitness while enjoying a scenic walk, meet people and raise funds for Diabetes UK along the way.

Staff at Jubilee House, a new £9m luxury all-inclusive care home in Leamington Spa, welcomed their first residents with an official red ribbon cutting event to mark its official opening. The new home is forecast to bring an estimated 150 jobs to the region once at full capacity.

Cutting the ribbon were Alison Partridge and John Ackerman, the first residents to move into the home. The ceremony was met with cheers and applause.

With Memorial Day fast approaching, Americans are starting to think about their much-needed summer vacations, and hotels are gearing up for what could be a very busy travel season. But more guests mean greater interaction between people and surfaces, which can elevate the risk of germs spreading throughout the hotel.

People in the West Midlands are invited to join Parkinson’s UK at Sutton Park, Birmingham on Saturday 22 July 2023 for a fundraising walk to help fund vital research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s. 

Walk for Parkinson's is the charity's national community fundraising series, and everyone is encouraged to get involved to get active, meet new people, and help fund life-changing research.

The first five cancer patients received life-saving radiation treatment at Health City’s Centre for Radiation Oncology in Camana Bay last week as Wednesday, May 17 became a historic day, not just for the institution but for the Cayman Islands, as for the first time, residents could access state-of-the-art cancer services without having to travel overseas.

TVM Capital Healthcare, a global specialist healthcare private equity firm headquartered in Dubai and Singapore, is pleased to announce an investment, from its TVM Healthcare Afiyah Fund, of EUR 10 million into DEBx Medical, an Amsterdam-based medical devices company.

DEBx Medical, founded in 2019, has developed a groundbreaking product, DEBRICHEM®, which offers a superior alternative to existing treatments for non-healing chronic wounds. This innovative product is easy to use and highly effective in removing biofilm and curing hard-to-heal wounds. With CE and ISO approvals obtained in February 2021, DEBx Medical has already successfully treated over 5,000 patients, and is about to introduce its product to the market.

Croydon’s Men’s Shed is providing a safe space for people to come together and take care of their mental health while learning new skills, such as gardening, food growing and woodwork.

Men’s Shed is a community project based at Good Food Matters in Mickleham Way, New Addington. The Shed is an opportunity for (mainly) men aged over 18 to join weekly activities and eat together every Friday from 11am to 3pm.

The statistics are stark. Every three minutes someone will develop dementia. But currently only 63 percent of people with dementia in England have received a diagnosis – almost four points below the national ambition of 66.7 percent. 

An early and accurate diagnosis not only helps prepare families for the future, but opens the door to vital treatment, care and support and, crucially, avoids people ending up in crisis. At Alzheimer's Society, they are buoyed by seeing the number of GP assessments return to pre-pandemic levels, but it’s concerning that overall, diagnosis rates are still stagnating since reaching a five year low during the pandemic.

The statistics are stark. Every three minutes someone will develop dementia. But currently only 63 percent of people with dementia in England have received a diagnosis – almost four points below the national ambition of 66.7 percent. 

An early and accurate diagnosis not only helps prepare families for the future, but opens the door to vital treatment, care and support and, crucially, avoids people ending up in crisis. 

The sleep experts at sleepjunkie.com can reveal that a common botanical fruit many of us enjoy at any hour of the day, could be contributing to dreams or nightmares. 

A spokesperson at sleepjunkie.com says: “Bananas are a superfood that can be enjoyed pretty much any time of the day. However, eating them too close to bedtime can contribute to a restless night's sleep and stimulate vivid dreams or nightmares.